Still Believing
by krose240
Summary: Book 2 of the Still Dreaming trilogy. Please read Book 1: Still Dreaming before reading this! I would give a summary, but that would give spoilers for Book 1. Bruce/OC story.
1. Chapter 1

"_Why would you want to help a freak like me?"_

"_Because I love you," Rose said, "and because you love me. You just have to remember."_

The room was silent for a long moment after that as Bruce processed this woman's words. Could she really be telling him the truth? Could she really, truly care for him, and he for her?

Rose discreetly wiped away her tears and stood, releasing Bruce's hand from her own. "I'm going to step outside and call Tony," she said softly, "tell him you're awake and…yeah." She left the room quickly, hating herself for showing such weakness, even in the presence of Bruce, the man she loved.

Bruce could do nothing but watch as the blue-haired girl left the room. He felt a pain in his heart, an emptiness. He couldn't understand why he couldn't remember. He couldn't understand why she seemed to mean so much to him. Who was she? Why did it hurt so much to see her go, even if for a moment?

* * *

Once outside the hospital room, Rose pulled her cell phone from her pocket and quickly dialed Tony's number. She knew it was a ridiculous hour to be calling him, but she wanted him to be the first to know that Bruce was awake.

The phone rang for quite some time before someone finally picked up.

"_Hello?_" came the obviously still very awake voice of Tony Stark.

"Tony," Rose said, trying her hardest to keep her voice from faltering, "Bruce woke up."

Rose was sure she could hear Tony's eyes widen in the silence that followed.

"_Is everything okay?_"

"No," Rose replied, "…he doesn't remember anything but the Hulk and Betty Ross…"

"_Shit,_" Tony muttered, though he didn't seem all that surprised. Rose noted this.

"You don't sound surprised, Tony," Rose said, "what's going on?"

Tony sighed loudly and seemed to be gathering his words. Finally, he spoke, "_I knew there was a possibility of amnesia…_"

"And you didn't fucking think to tell me?" Rose hissed, not wanting Bruce, or anyone for that matter, to overhear the conversation.

"_I didn't want to worry you,_" Tony defended.

"Are you fucking insane?" Rose growled into the phone, "You are so goddamn lucky you're not here in person right now…I hope you know that, you bastard."

"_Trust me, Rose, I get it, I get that you're pissed-_"

"Pissed?" Rose asked, "No, not pissed, furious! Did you not think that I had a right to know all there was to know about my own _boyfriend's_ condition?"

"_I'm sorry, alright?_" Tony spat back, "_Calm the hell down before you turn into the Hulk yourself!_"

"You had better not try anything like this again, Stark," Rose replied through gritted teeth, "you got that?"

"_I'm hearing you, loud and clear,_" Tony answered, "_won't happen again. The last thing this world needs is for you to go apeshit on it._"

"I'm not Loki," Rose said, "I'm not going to take out my frustrations for one person out on an entirely different person. You screw up again, Stark, it's on your head. I hope you remember what happened last time you pissed me off."

"_Please, don't remind me,_" Tony said, "_look, I understand, alright? Now did you want me to come up there or was this just a heads up?_"

"You're working on something, aren't you?" Rose asked.

"_Yes, and it's very important,_" Tony said, "_I'm sorry, but if you don't mind, I think I'll stay and keep working until later. I'll call when I'm on my way. Why don't you calm yourself down and rest until then?_"

Rose sighed. "Fine," she said, "…don't expect an apology for my reaction, though…you knew it was coming."

"_Goodnight, Rose,_" Tony said with a sigh, hanging up before Rose could pester him further. That only served to annoy her a bit, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Rose tucked her phone back into her pocket and sighed, running a hand through her hair. How could Tony have kept that from her? Confused and rather hurt by Tony's actions, Rose wandered back into the hospital room and paused in the doorway as she caught Bruce's stare.

"What was that all about?" Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You heard that?" Rose asked, suddenly both embarrassed and annoyed, having forgotten her anger with Tony for the time being.

"Most of it," Bruce answered, "…who were you yelling at?"

Rose paused, then sighed, going to sit back down in her chair at the side of his bed. "That was Tony Stark," she said, deciding it best to tell Bruce the truth, "I called him to let him know that you were awake. One thing led to another and I found out that he'd withheld information from me about your condition and…let's just say I'm glad Tony wasn't actually in front of me for that conversation or I'd probably be scarred for life by my actions."

Bruce looked confused and was unsure where to start. "Your actions?" he asked, figuring he'd work his way backwards.

"You…you know how you get when you're angry," Rose said softly, refusing to look at Bruce, "…I'm worse."

"I doubt that," Bruce muttered.

"I hope I never have to prove to you just how bad I am when I'm angry," Rose said, "it's not pretty…"

"And you don't think I know the feeling?" Bruce asked.

Rose frowned a bit. "I'm sorry," she said, "it's just…I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with all of this. You having amnesia, Tony withholding information…I suppose I could put Betty on the list. I mean, you remember her, but you don't remember me, and that's just not fair."

"You're right, I remember Betty, but not you, and that's not fair," Bruce said, "…and you said you'd help me remember. Enlighten me."

"What?" Rose asked, glancing up and finally looking to Bruce.

"Tell me who you are," Bruce said, "what you mean to me."

Rose smiled just a bit and took Bruce's left hand in her own and said, "I'm Rose Hunter. I'm your girlfriend, Bruce. We've been dating for a short while, but I know I love you and I know you love me."

Bruce smiled a bit at that. "I think my heart still knows that, deep down," he said, "…I just wish I could remember. Tell me, how did we meet?"

"SHIELD called me in to help track Loki," Rose said, "he was an escaped criminal and they needed my abilities in order to find him. I became a member of the Avengers, the same band of heroes you belong to. That's how we met."

"The Avengers?" Bruce asked.

"We're a group of heroes. We fight the enemies no one else can," Rose said, "Tony Stark is a member. He's Iron Man, and he loves to flaunt it. It drives me insane, but you were the one who pointed out that the reason he and I butt heads so much is because we're alike. There are other members, but I'll be sure to introduce you whenever they come by. I'd expect that they'll come by in the morning after Tony. I didn't tell anyone else you'd woken up so it's up to him when to deliver the news to the rest of the team."

"And who's Loki?" Bruce asked, "I mean, the name rings a bell, but I'm not sure which one." He laughed a bit.

"Brother of Thor," Rose said, "Norse god of Mischief. Real pain in the ass."

"Duly noted," Bruce said with a slight smile.

* * *

Tony sighed and put his head in his hands. He'd scoured through Jarvis' video feeds as far back as the first meeting that Rose had attended, but he hadn't found what he was looking for. He hadn't seen those eyes, but he knew he'd seen them sometime before in his apartment. He knew he'd seen them in his apartment. The question was when?

"Sir," Jarvis said, interrupting Tony's thoughts, "might I suggest a break?"

"No, I have to figure this out," Tony said, "I need to know where I saw those eyes…"

"Sir," Jarvis continued, "perhaps you would have better luck spotting them after a good night's sleep?"

"It's not that I can't spot them because I'm tired, Jarvis," Tony spat, "I know they haven't shown up in any of the recent footage. I would have remembered from my perspective. We need to look further back."

"Please, sir," Jarvis said, "I highly suggest a break."

Tony sighed. "What, have you got a contract with Pepper or something saying that you always have to pester me about sleeping and eating?" he complained, standing and reluctantly leaving the room, hating that he couldn't finish his research that night. He was going to figure out when he'd seen those eyes, he was sure.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning rolled around soon enough and Tony pulled himself out of bed per Jarvis' insistence. He threw on a simple black t-shirt and a pair of jeans as well as black shoes before slipping into the elevator and heading down to the garage. His arc reactor glowed blue even through the fabric of the shirt, as it always did. The color reminded him of his investigation and he sighed as he realized he'd have to put it on hold until this Bruce stuff was sorted out. As long as Rose was involved, his number one priority was helping with Bruce and his situation.

Tony stepped out of the elevator as it arrived in the garage and made his way to the Mercedes, slipping in and starting up the engine. He would have taken the Acura, but he'd noticed that Rose had taken a liking to it and he really didn't want her deciding that she would be driving them back to the tower. Plus, if Bruce was in any shape to come home, the Acura was not the car to take, since it wasn't exactly built for more than two passengers.

As he pulled out of the garage and into the traffic of the city, Tony let his mind wander a bit. He began to wonder about the lab accident. Who could have set Bruce up? Only a select set of people had access to his lab, Tony realized, so it had to have been an inside job. That is, if his assumption that the explosion was foul play was correct, which he was sure it was. He was a genius for a reason.

"Shit," he muttered, realizing that he hadn't had a chance to check the lab for more clues or to see what information could be salvaged. He'd have to make his visit quick, he decided. There was too much work to do and too little time.

* * *

When he arrived at the hospital, Tony wasted no time making his way up to Dr. Banner's room. He knocked and opened the door, startled to find Rose directly in front of him as if she'd been about to open the door.

"Geez, Rose," Tony said, "don't scare me like that!"

Rose slapped him across the cheek before frowning towards him.

"The fuck was that for?" He asked, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Keeping me in the dark about Bruce's condition," Rose replied, not caring that Bruce could hear their conversation.

"Didn't you have like-" Tony paused to look at his watch for dramatic effect "-seven hours to get over that?"

"I thought it was obvious that my anger management issues are far worse than Bruce's," Rose said. Bruce couldn't help but crack a smile and let out a laugh at that as Rose finally stepped aside to let Tony in. She closed the door after the billionaire entered and made her way back over to the bed.

"I take it you're the Tony Stark that Rose has been telling me about," Bruce said.

Tony nodded, going to stand on the other side of the bed, across from Rose. "Yeah," he said, "Rose told me that you got amnesia. I was hoping that wouldn't happen."

"Why exactly did it happen?" Bruce asked, "And how did my hand get hurt?" he lifted his right hand to show off the stitches in his palm. His bruises had mostly healed by now, but his hand was still in bad shape.

"That's the problem," Tony said, "we don't actually know. All we know is there was an explosion and you hit your head pretty hard when you fell."

"We suspect that someone planned this," Rose said, "but it would take forever to figure out who, especially since we don't have a video feed from the lab."

"Actually," Tony said, smirking a bit, "I realized something this morning. There's only a select group of people who had access to that lab."

"So there are only a few suspects then?" Rose asked, "Any idea who's on that list?"

"I was planning to head back after this visit and get started on that," Tony said, "…has Dr. Lowrey come by yet to check on Bruce?"

Rose shook her head. "You're the only person I told when he woke up," she said, "I wanted you to be the first person to see him."

"I'll go get the doctor and have him check out Bruce," Tony said, "see if he can go home yet."

"I doubt it," Bruce said, "I'll bet they'll want me to stay a while."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"I'm an amnesia patient," Bruce explained, "and I'm a potential threat. I understand that those things don't mix well at all."

Tony shrugged. "Fair point," he said, "but I'll have Lowrey check you out anyhow and give us an estimate of how long you've gotta stay."

Both Rose and Bruce nodded and Tony left the room.

"It's strange," Rose said softly.

"What is?" Bruce asked.

"You're no different than before," Rose replied, "you're still the same sweet man I know, and the amnesia hasn't altered the way you feel around me. It's like your body somehow tells you that you're safe."

"How would you know that?" Bruce asked, surprised by her thoughts.

"You're only ever open like this around Tony and I," Rose said, "but mostly just me. I'd bet good money that you'll close up and become the introvert doctor again once the rest of the team knows you're awake and comes to see you."

Dr. Lowrey and Tony returned right then and Dr. Lowrey smiled towards Rose and Bruce. "So you're awake?" he asked Bruce.

"It would seem so," Bruce replied.

"Mr. Stark, Rose," Dr. Lowrey said, "would it be too much to ask to have a moment alone with Dr. Banner?"

"Not at all," Tony answered, not giving Rose a chance to protest as he motioned for her to follow him out into the hallway. She reluctantly obeyed and left the room silently, closing the door behind herself.

"Should I call-"

"You should tell-"

Rose and Tony paused in the middle of their sentences, realizing that they'd been speaking at the same time. Tony smiled a bit and said, "I'll call the others then and tell them that Bruce is up."

"Thanks," Rose said softly.

"Not a problem," Tony replied, "besides, if they're here you can come back to the tower with me and help me sort through what's left in Banner's lab. There's got to be something useful in there."

"I doubt it," Rose said, "the computers are fried."

"That may be," Tony said, "but you forget who I am."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Of course," she replied, smirking a bit, "yes, how could I forget that you were the genius billionaire Tony Stark?"

They both laughed it off and decided to return to the tower once the rest of the team arrived at the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

Ten o'clock rolled around far too soon and the team, along with Pepper and Fury, arrived in Bruce's hospital room. Lowrey had said that Banner would have to stay for a few days at least and Fury had decided it was best to just keep Bruce at the hospital rather than deal with all the trouble of moving him to a SHIELD facility.

Once the others had arrived, Rose and Tony had quickly said their goodbyes and left, Rose promising to return later that night. Bruce had to admit that Rose was right about him. He felt safe with her, but was rather on edge once she left, as if his subconscious actually remembered her. He just wished he could actually remember something, anything about her, soon.

As Rose and Tony hopped out of the car, Tony's cell phone rang and he sighed, giving Rose a look of apology as they slipped into the elevator and he answered his phone.

"Hello?" Tony asked.

"_Is this Tony Stark?_" came the voice of a woman. Tony paused, that voice was familiar.

"Yes," Tony answered, "who is this?"

"_Betty Ross,_" was the answer and Tony's eyes widened.

"Why are you calling me?" Tony asked, "More importantly, how'd you get my number?"

"_Doesn't matter how I got your number,_" Betty replied, "_I couldn't get ahold of Bruce…did something happen?_"

Rose frowned, easily able to overhear the conversation. She placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and he glanced towards her.

"Give me the phone," Rose said softly, "I'll explain."

Tony just nodded and obeyed, handing Rose the phone as his mind raced. How did Betty get his number? Wasn't it like, top secret or something?

"This is Rose," Rose said, "before you say anything, I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I think it's best if I'm the one to say this."

The sigh on the other end was loud, but Rose ignored it and continued, "There was an accident in Bruce's lab. He has amnesia."

"_What?_" Betty asked, surprised.

"You heard me," Rose said, "he still remembers you, if you want to go see him."

"_Why are you telling me this?_" Betty asked, "_Didn't I upset you when we last met?_"

"You did," Rose said, "but that's beside the point. You care for Bruce just as much as I do, right?"

"_Yes, of course._"

"Then go see him," Rose said, "I won't stop you. He needs all the comfort he can get right now."

The woman on the other end hesitated a moment, then sighed a bit. "_Thank you,_" she said softly, "_I'll go see him. Where is he?_"

Tony tapped Rose's shoulder and reached for the phone. The blue-haired woman handed it over as the elevator doors opened.

"I'll have Jarvis send you the address," Tony said. With that, he hung up and stuffed his phone in his pocket, looking to Rose and accidentally locking eyes with her. He couldn't help but stare a moment. Those eyes…those emerald green eyes. He shook the thought away and led Rose down the hallway to Banner's lab without another word and opened the door. Rose just followed him silently, secretly hating that Betty would be seeing Bruce but knowing it was the right thing to do to let them see each other. Besides, she had nothing to worry about, right?

The pair found the lab in the same terrible condition they had found it the night before after the explosion. Tony looked to Rose briefly before heading over to the computer and inspecting it.

"Jarvis," Tony said, sighing a bit, "you get everything off this computer that you can and transfer it to my personal computer."

"Yes, sir," Jarvis said.

Rose sighed and went over to the lab table. "Tony," she said, "do you think Jarvis could bring up a feed from the hallway?"

"Why the hallway?" Tony asked, standing and going over to the lab table.

"The cameras were off in here," Rose explained, "but not in the hallway."

Tony's eyes widened. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?"

"Doesn't matter," Rose said. Tony nodded and said, "Jarvis, pull up yesterday's video feed from the hallway in my lab." Tony looked to Rose before turning to leave the room. There were no clues at all, just a huge mess of useless technology. Both Tony and Rose knew no good would come from remaining in the room when they had a new lead like this. Tony and Rose made their way quickly to Tony's lab, Tony himself not bothering with manners and Rose not blaming him.

"Jarvis," Tony said, "pull up that feed and play it on fast forward."

The AI complied and Tony and Rose stood before a large screen as the feed began to play. Aside from Bruce and Rose, nothing was out of the ordinary until they neared the hours of the night. Suddenly, the video was interrupted with static for a good minute before returning to normal.

"Jarvis," Tony said, "go back to where the static starts and pause it for me."

Jarvis did as his master ordered and paused the feed right before the static started.

"Okay, one frame at a time," Tony said, he and Rose watching intently as the feed started up again. At the bottom of the screen they just barely caught a glimpse of dark hair before the static scrambled the video.

"Go back a few frames and save a picture of that head," Tony ordered, "…are there any other angles?"

"No, sir," Jarvis said, "I'm afraid this is all I could find."

Rose sighed. "At least we've narrowed it down a bit," she said, "there's only a select set of people with that hair color that have access to the lab."

"The trouble is," Tony said, "the only ones with that hair color who actually have access to the lab are Bruce and I and I know it's not either of us."

"So we're back to square one?" Rose asked.

Tony sighed. "Pretty much," he said.

Rose placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded a bit. "In that case," she said, "I think I'll take the Acura and head back to the hospital. We didn't find a damn thing of use aside from that picture."

"I'll keep working," Tony replied, "see what I can find. I'll call you if I get anywhere."

Rose nodded. "Thank you, Tony," she said softly, "don't forget to eat sometime, okay?"

Tony smiled just a bit at that. "Get going, Rose," he said, "don't you have somewhere to be?"

Rose laughed, flashed Tony a smile, and left quietly.

Once Rose was gone, Tony looked back to the screen where the picture of that dark head of hair was still displayed. He stared at it for quite a while before closing out of it and sighing.

"Sir," Jarvis said, "while you were gone I continued searching through my video feeds of your apartment. I believe I found something of interest to you."

Tony perked up at this slightly. "Show me," he ordered, his eyes going wide as an image opened up on the screen. Those eyes…

* * *

_**A/N:** Dun, dun DUUUUN! I love cliffhangers. Don't worry, you'll find out what's been bugging Tony about Rose's eyes soon enough. I love you all and I love reviews!_


	4. Chapter 4

Rose stepped out of the elevator in the parking garage and headed for the Acura, glad she'd taken the time to change into a new set of clothes. She wore a nice green shirt that flattered her quite well and matched her emerald eyes perfectly and a pair of black skinny jeans that hugged her curves as if they were made for her. There were black boots on her feet, a gold colored belt around her waist, and a gold bracelet on her right wrist. She was a stunning picture, truly, yet no one would see the irony of her appearance for a good while yet.

Rose slipped into the driver's seat of the Acura and started up the car, wasting no time as she drove out of the parking garage and headed towards the hospital It hadn't been but a few hours since Betty had called, and Rose expected the woman to still be there, perhaps chatting it up with Bruce. Part of her was unnerved by the fact that Betty would be talking to Bruce and that he would remember her, but she reassured herself with the fact that she had no reason to be jealous as Bruce had very clearly told Betty the last time they'd met that he wouldn't be taking her back. Rose could only hope that Betty wouldn't try to take advantage of him in his state.

"What am I thinking?" Rose asked herself, "Betty's not a bad person. Why would I even think that she would think about hurting him?" She shook the thought away. Bruce would be fine and Betty wasn't going to pull anything. Rose was just overreacting, she was sure. It seemed she did that a lot lately. If only she hadn't joined the Avengers, then she wouldn't be freaking out over every small little detail.

Rose stopped herself. No, it was best that she'd joined the team, else they would have lost against Loki, and she couldn't have had that. No one could have. Besides, she'd gotten Bruce out of the deal and a new group of friends, something she'd never actually had. She could never let herself think that way. She could never let herself regret joining the team.

* * *

Bruce sat up in his bed, eating a sandwich that one of the nurses had brought up for him while he chatted absently with Betty. He was grateful for her presence, no doubt, but part of him was unnerved by her. Something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. Why was Betty making him feel so insecure?

"Do you know what happened?" Betty asked.

Bruce paused, then shook his head. "No one told me," he said, "Tony and Rose said that they had no information on what had happened and were hoping I could tell them. I don't remember anything about it so…"

"I see," Betty said, nodding, "so you really don't remember anything but me and…_him_?"

Bruce nodded, glancing down at his sandwich before sighing and setting it down. "Betty," he said softly, "…I want so very badly to trust everyone who's seen me, but I just can't bring myself to trust anyone. I hate that I have no way of knowing whether I'm being lied to about my past."

Betty smiled just a bit. "You can trust me," she said.

"I know," Bruce replied, returning her smile, hating that he was lying to her. Ironic, wasn't it? That he felt that he was being lied to but went right ahead and lied to Betty, the only person he remembered and the only person he should have been able to fully trust. There was something off about her, and he wanted to know what, but it was obvious he would have to figure it out on his own.

* * *

Rose made her way down the hall to Bruce's room and nearly ran into Dr. Lowrey and Director Fury on the way. The three of them glanced at each other before Rose finally mustered a smile and a slight laugh.

"Sorry," she said, "I was too absorbed in my thoughts to look where I was going. I'll be more careful."

Fury smirked just a bit and nodded. "Nice outfit," he said, "…is there a particular reason you picked it?"

Rose paused, raising an eyebrow in confusion at Fury's words. "What do you mean?"

"Nevermind," Fury said, continuing down the hall with Dr. Lowrey before Rose could protest. She glanced down at her clothes and frowned a bit. Was she missing something? She gave up thinking about it and continued on towards Bruce's room, unable to keep herself from wondering what it was that Fury was talking about.

"Knock, knock," Rose said, pushing the door of Bruce's room open slightly and plastering on a smile as she caught sight of Bruce eating a sandwich and Betty sitting at his bedside. Both doctors looked up as she entered, surprised.

"Rose," Bruce said, smiling, actually very happy to see her, "I thought you went with Tony to help him."

"I did what I could," Rose replied, "but I'm no help when it comes to computers. Although, we did manage to find a nice little clue. Sadly, we're still stuck."

"What are you talking about?" Betty asked.

"Oh," Rose said, "…well, I suppose there's no harm in telling you. Tony and I believe that Bruce was attacked in his lab by someone. We searched the hallway video feeds and managed to catch a glimpse of someone's hair, but that's all we could really find."

"Oh," Betty said, frowning, "do you have any idea who it might be?"

Rose shook her head. "All we know is their hair color," she said, "and I'm sure Tony would have my ass if I said anything further. I mean, not like I couldn't convince him otherwise, but I don't want to have to."

"You're just confusing me even more," Betty muttered.

Rose shrugged. "Don't worry about it," she replied, "it's nothing you need to know about. What have you guys been talking about?"

"Seeing what I can remember," Bruce said, "the answer's not much."

Rose went to stand at his bedside and gave him a slight smile. "I figured as such," she said, "but I did tell you that I'd help you remember. I promised, actually."

"That you did," Bruce said, smiling, "but you never said how."

"I don't know how, yet," Rose answered, "but I intend to find a way."

"Would it be too much to ask to help?" Betty asked.

Rose looked to Betty and paused. "I…I don't know how much help you'd be, in all honesty," she said, "most of what he's forgotten involves the Avengers."

"Yes, I know that," Betty said, "but he remembers me. Maybe if I'm around it'll help spark a few other memories."

Rose actually didn't see any logic in it and was feeling rather suspicious of Betty, but sighed and nodded anyhow. If she agreed to letting Betty help, she could keep a close eye on the woman, and that thought alone was appealing. Rose didn't peg Betty as the jealous ex, but something was off about her. Perhaps Rose was overreacting, and she was pretty sure she was, but it made sense in her mind to keep the woman around.

"Fine," Rose agreed, "you can help, or try, whatever."

Betty smiled. "Thank you," she said.

_Don't thank me yet_, Rose thought, smiling back.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Now, the question is, my wonderful readers, have you caught my hints yet? I know I've made them quite obvious, but I want to hear it from you. What do you think Tony discovered? What do you think Rose's choice of outfit has to do with anything? Please do tell me in reviews! I love reviews!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**__ The big question will be answered today. Yes, that's right, it's time to find out what Tony discovered. Enjoy!_

* * *

Tony was stunned, unable to move or even speak, and barely able to think. How was this possible? How could those be the same eyes? This was impossible.

"Sir?" Jarvis asked, startling Tony.

"Jarvis," Tony said, never once looking away from the screen, "call Fury."

It took no time for the director to pick up and soon his voice filled the room. "What is it, Stark? Find anything that'll help with Banner?"

"No," Tony said, "but I did find something you need to see. Can you get over here?"

"This had better be good, Stark," Fury said.

"Trust me," Tony replied, "it is." Fury didn't respond and the line went dead. Tony sighed a bit and stood.

"Sir," Jarvis said, "shall I save this in a secure file?"

"Yes," Tony answered, "and keep it on my personal server."

"Of course," Jarvis said, "what should I call it?"

"Artemis," Tony said, "call it Artemis, and make sure to encrypt it."

"As you wish," Jarvis replied. With that, Tony left the room and made his way up to his penthouse. He needed a drink, and he needed one badly.

* * *

It was barely half an hour later that the director arrived in Tony's apartment to find the billionaire drinking vodka straight from the bottle. Obviously whatever it was he'd found had been quite traumatizing.

"Tony," Fury said, going to place a hand on the man's shoulder. Tony set down the bottle reluctantly and looked to Fury.

"You had something to show me?" Fury prompted.

Tony sighed and stood, leading Fury over to the television. "Jarvis," he said, "pull up the Artemis file on the TV."

"Yes, sir," replied the AI as the TV turned itself on and the Artemis file was brought up.

"Take a look for yourself," Tony said, turning and heading right back to the bar to grab his bottle of vodka as Fury stared unbelieving at the screen.

"You wanted to know how Rose got her powers," Tony said, "there's the answer."

"What does this mean, Stark?" Fury asked, turning to face Tony.

"There's only one explanation," Tony said, "…Loki is Rose's father."

There were two pictures visible on the screen. One was of Rose, her eyes a bright emerald green. The other picture was of Loki, his eyes the same bright shade of green.

"Do you think she knows?" Fury asked.

Tony quickly shook his head, and instantly regretted it, being as drunk as he was. "She told me that she grew up with both a father and a mother: Jenna and Richard Hunter. She didn't seem suspicious of the fact that neither parent had green eyes."

"I think we should contact Thor and have Loki brought here," Fury said, "we can hear everything from him."

"Get on with it, then," Tony said.

Fury rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer it if you were sober for the meeting," he replied.

"No promises," Tony said, tipping the bottle back and taking a huge swig of vodka. It was nice, being drunk at a time like this. He watched as Fury left the room, dreading the meeting with Loki. He still couldn't believe that Rose was Loki's daughter.

* * *

God knows how Fury managed to contact Thor on Asgard, but regardless, it was managed. Thor arrived about half an hour after Fury's call, Loki in tow, in handcuffs, no less. _Really?_ Tony thought, _He's a homicidal maniac and the best you can do is handcuffs?_

"Stark," Fury said, looking to the still drunk genius, clearly annoyed with him, "take us down to the lab and put the tower on lockdown. No one in, no one out."

"My tower, Fury, my rules!" Tony replied. Despite his words, though, he obeyed his orders and told Jarvis to lockdown the tower once the group had congregated in his laboratory.

Loki was led to a seat and told to sit down. He obeyed without a word, clearly wondering why he'd been brought before Tony and Fury. He knew it couldn't be good. Thor remained beside his brother, ready to restrain him if need be, though he knew he didn't want it to come to that. He nodded to Fury and the director turned to Loki.

"Let's get one thing straight here," Fury said, giving Loki that patented one-eyed glare of his, "no lies, no games. I want straight answers, Loki, and I will get them, regardless of what I have to do."

"Just get on with it, Fury," Tony said, "the suspense is killing me."

"If I may," Loki interjected, looking to Tony, "I believe that it is, in fact, the alcohol that's killing you, not the suspense."

"Don't be a smart ass," Tony snapped, glaring at Loki. Loki just smirked a bit and returned his attention to Fury.

"Ask away," said the god of mischief.

"Are you Rose's father?" Fury asked. Thor was stunned by the question, but Loki seemed unfazed.

"Took you long enough," Loki said with a laugh, "what was your first clue?"

"Jarvis, pull up the Artemis file," Tony ordered. The file opened and the two pictures were displayed on the screen.

"That," Tony said, pointing to the screen, though his aim was slightly off.

Loki just smirked. "Yes," he said, "she's my daughter. Why the sudden interest in her parentage?"

"Her abilities have…advanced," Fury explained.

"And you're afraid that you can't trust her if you can't control her, yes?" Loki guessed, "Or, at least, understand where she gets her power."

"Yes," Fury muttered, looking back to the screen, very annoyed with Loki.

"Tell me," Loki said, "how far have her abilities advanced?"

"Mind control and charmspeak," Tony answered.

Loki laughed a bit and smiled. "That's my girl," he replied.

"We're not here to talk about Rose's abilities," Fury said, "we're here to hear your side of the story. I want to hear what happened for you to become her father."

Loki sighed, then nodded. "Fine," he said, "I'll tell you, so long as you promise not to tell her. That's my job."

"You've been doing a shitty job of that," Tony spat.

"It is not yet time to tell her," Loki replied, glaring at Tony, "there is a time and place for things like this. She does not need to know…not yet."

"Get on with it, please," Fury said, rubbing his temples.

Loki took a moment to gather his words before beginning. "I met her mother, Jenna, many years ago. We became lovers and she got pregnant. We both knew it would be best that Rose not know about me so we went to one of her friends, Richard Hunter, and asked him to take my place in Rose's life and pose as her father. He agreed under the circumstances, fortunately for us, and I left. Richard and Jenna married when Rose was five and she was told that her parents simply hadn't been ready for marriage when she was conceived."

Fury looked to Tony right then. "Does all of this fit the story Rose told you?" he asked.

Tony nodded. "It fits in perfectly," he said, motioning for Loki to continue.

"Rose grew up with Richard and Jenna," Loki said, "but I watched over her from afar. When she was nineteen, there was a shooting. I appeared and tried to save Richard and Jenna, but it was already too late…so I killed the gunmen and left. There was nothing I could have done to save them."

The room was silent for a long moment after that, taking in Loki's words.

"Is this…is this true, Brother?" Thor asked.

"Of course it is," Loki said, "you think I would lie about something like this?"

"Promise me something," Tony said, watching as Loki turned to face him, "…promise that you'll tell Rose everything you've told us when the time comes."

"I swear it," Loki said, "she will learn the truth when the time comes."

And that was when Tony's phone rang.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. "It's Rose," he said, looking to Fury.

"Answer it…and put it on speaker," Fury replied.

Tony wanted to question the director, but thought better of it and did as he was asked, answering the phone and putting it on speaker before setting it down on the lab table.

"_Hey, Tony, it's me,_" Rose said.

"I know," Tony replied, "caller ID. What's up?"

Rose hesitated, then responded, "_Betty's asked to help me help Bruce remember everything._"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Tony asked, confused as to why this was so important.

"_Yes, there is,_" Rose said, "_I mean, I already took her up on it, but only because I felt it best to keep my friends close and my enemies closer. There's something fishy with Betty. I don't know what, but her reasoning for wanting to help made no sense. There was no logic._"

"This is when telepathy would come in handy, isn't it?" Tony asked, laughing a bit.

"_You've been drinking, Tony,_" Rose said, her frown evident in her tone of voice, "_you make stupid jokes when you're drunk._"

Loki's eyes widened a bit at this and he smirked. Damn, she was good.

"Look, Rose," Tony said, "what were you wanting me to do?"

"_I want you to make sure Jarvis will be monitoring her every move whenever she's at the tower,_" Rose said, "_and I was hoping you'd be able to hack the hospital cameras and monitor Bruce's room as well._"

"Consider it done," came Jarvis's voice over the intercom.

"What he said," Tony replied.

"_Thanks, Tony,_" Rose said, "_I'm going to stay at the hospital. I think it's best if I do._"

"Go ahead," Tony said, "want me to bring you some fresh clothes or something?"

"_I'm fine, really,_" Rose said, "_but thanks. I guess I'll see you tomorrow sometime?_"

"I'll come by tomorrow morning," Tony replied, "don't forget to eat."

"_That's my line,_" Rose said with a laugh, "_bye, Tony!_"

With that, the call ended and Tony looked around at the other men in the room.

"Betty Ross?" Fury asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Tony said, "I don't know what's got Rose feeling uncomfortable about her, but it's gotta be something big."

"I'll have someone keep an eye on her," Fury said.

"Just one eye?" Tony asked, smirking. Fury just glared at him while Loki bit back a laugh.

"Are we done here?" Thor asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"You might be, Thor," Loki said, "but I believe Stark still owes me a drink."

Thor frowned but Tony smirked and clapped a hand onto Loki's shoulder. "I don't see a problem with you guys staying for a drink," he said.

"Stark," Fury warned.

"I won't pull anything," Loki said, holding his cuffed hands up in surrender, "why would I when you have such valuable information to hang over my head?"

"He has a point, Fury," Tony said.

Fury rolled his eye and sighed. "Whatever," he said, turning to go, "I'm leaving. Don't blow anything up, Stark."

Tony laughed and had Jarvis lift the lockdown before motioning for Loki to stand and for him and his step-brother to follow as he headed for the elevator. The trio slipped in, Fury having taken the other elevator. Tony was secretly excited, but he wasn't quite sure why. It was probably the vodka that was still in his system. Mmm, vodka.

* * *

"I think I'll head out," Betty said, standing.

"It's only two," Bruce said.

"I have work to do," Betty replied, gathering her purse, "sorry."

"Thank you for coming by," Rose said.

Betty smiled towards Rose at those words. "Thank you for telling me what happened," she said.

Bruce and Rose watched as Betty turned and left the room. They remained silent until her footsteps had faded down the hall.

"So I'm not the one who felt something was off about her, right?" Bruce asked in a soft voice.

Rose, rather surprised by Bruce's question, paused and looked to him. "Uh…" she stumbled for words, finally settling on nodding.

"You felt it too?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah," Rose finally managed, "I don't know what _it_ was, but I felt it."

"She's different than I remember her being," Bruce said.

"She's suspicious," Rose said, "her reason to help us made no logical sense."

"Then why'd you agree?" Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Rose replied, "if she's up to something, she's got more of a chance of slipping if she spends more time around me, around us."

Bruce nodded. It made perfect sense. He was definitely impressed with Rose right then. He could see why he'd fallen for her. If only he actually remembered.

"Was it…was it you who sang while I was unconscious?" Bruce asked.

"What?" Rose asked, her cheeks flushing a bright red, "You…you heard that?"

"Yes," Bruce said, reaching for her hand and taking it, "…why are you blushing?"

"I…I really…I didn't realize you'd hear me," Rose said softly, "…this is embarrassing."

"No," Bruce said, smiling, "you have a beautiful voice."

Rose's cheeks flushed a deeper red. "You really think so?"

Bruce nodded. "Will you sing for me again?"

Rose hesitated. "I don't usually sing for anyone," she said, "…it's an emotional outlet, much like the Hulk is for you. You…you didn't know about it before the lab accident. I never told you."

"Why not?" Bruce asked, "I wouldn't have thought you crazy if that was your reason."

"It just…it never came up," Rose said, "…look, I really don't feel comfortable-"

"Please, Rose?" Bruce asked, "Sing for me?"

Rose gazed towards Bruce, then sighed and looked away. There was a long moment of silence before she returned her gaze to him and gave him a slight smile. And she began to sing.

"_Something has changed within me,_

_Something is not the same._

_I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game._

_Too late for second-guessing,_

_Too late to go back to sleep,_

_It's time to trust my instincts,_

_Close my eyes…_

_And leap._

_It's time to try defying gravity._

_I think I'll try defying gravity,_

_And you can't pull me down._"

Bruce smiled, gazing into Rose's bright green eyes as she sang. Her voice was…enchanting. It was the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard, and he had to wonder why she never sang for people.

"_I'm through accepting limits,_

'_Cause someone says they're so._

_Some things I cannot change, but 'till I try I'll never know._

_Too long I've been afraid of,_

_Losing love I guess I've lost._

_Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost._

_I'd sooner buy defying gravity,_

_Kiss me goodbye,_

_I'm defying gravity and you can't pull me down._"

Bruce smiled and let go of Rose's hand, instead placing it on her cheek. He gazed into her eyes, longing to remember. He wished he could know what he felt for her before the accident.

Rose gazed back, bringing her hand to Bruce's and smiling. She held his hand there for quite some time. It came as a huge surprise when he leaned in and took her lips in his own, kissing her softly, sweetly, testing the waters. Rose fought back tears. If only he remembered her, if only he remembered what they had. Rose pulled back and looked away.

"Rose?" Bruce asked, "Did I…did I do something wrong?"

Rose quickly shook her head. "No," she said, "…I just…I need a moment."

"You sure you're fine?" Bruce asked.

Rose nodded. "I think…I think I'm gonna go shoot something…or something."

"Wh-…shoot something?" Bruce asked, pausing as something came to him, a scene. A memory, he realized.

* * *

_Fury nodded. "It's loaded," he said, "why don't you give it a try?" He motioned to the target at the back of the range, a good 25 yards away._

_Rose smirked, slipping past Fury and putting on her headphones before picking up the rifle and aiming it at the target. There was no way she'd hit the bullseye from here, so she had to wonder if there was another surprise waiting for her when she shot it._

_Bruce and Fury put on their own headphones. Bruce went to stand behind Rose, wondering what was so special about her new weapon._

_Rose touched her finger to the trigger and the safety clicked off. Holding her breath, she pulled the trigger and a boom echoed through the range as the bullet connected with the target and exploded, leaving nothing but the smoking remains of paper. Rose laughed a bit and set down the rifle before removing her headphones and safety glasses and setting them beside the weapon._

_"So?" Fury asked._

_"That was fun," Rose answered, "I like it."_

_Bruce raised an eyebrow at Rose. "You're kind of sadistic, aren't you?"_

_Rose smirked a bit and shrugged as she replied, "Just a bit."_

* * *

Bruce blinked in surprise, looking to Rose. "I…" he didn't know what to say.

Rose looked to Bruce. "Are you…alright?"

"I…I remember the shooting range," Bruce said, "I remember the gun Fury gave you."

Rose's eyes widened. "You do?"

Bruce smiled. "I do," he said, "…and I think I also remembered one of the reasons I love you. You like destroying stuff just as much as the Hulk does."

"I'm kind of sadistic, aren't I?" Rose said with a smirk. Bruce took her hand and kissed it. He couldn't have been happier right then.

* * *

_**A/N:** So, figured I'd brag now. I saw Iron Man 3 on May 2nd. It was epic. Dude, it's so worth it. Go see it, my readers, it's the best! You'll love it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, your heart will probably stop a few times. But don't just take my word for it, see it for yourself._

_Also, I love reviews and feedback on my stories! Any reactions to what Tony found? How about the first thing Bruce remembers about Rose?_


	7. Chapter 7

Tony made his way over to the bar and the brothers followed, each taking a seat on one of the stools.

"Any suggestions?" Tony asked, glancing over his shoulder at the two men.

Thor opened his mouth to speak, but Loki cut him off. "Something strong," he said.

Tony laughed and searched through his collection of liquor for the strongest thing he had. Finally finding what he was looking for, Tony pulled out two glasses and poured the liquor for Thor and Loki. He didn't pour any for himself. He figured he'd switch to beer since he knew he couldn't out drink an Asgardian even when he started sober.

Once the liquor was poured, Tony turned and placed the glasses before Thor and Loki. Loki smirked a bit.

"Not going to mix anything fancy, Stark?" the god asked.

"Too drunk," Tony said, laughing and making his way to the fridge to get a can of beer.

Loki shook his head in amusement and took a drink of the liquor. "What's this called?" he asked, finding that he quite liked it.

"Absinthe," Tony replied, "…one sip of that and I'm out. I don't know why it keep it around."

Loki sighed a bit, glancing down at his cuffed hands. "Is there any chance of these cuffs being removed?" he asked.

Tony shrugged, going to sit down on the other side of Loki. "Not my call," he said, "…Thor?"

The Thunder God shrugged. "I don't see a point in keeping them on, not when we've got leverage over him," he said, setting down his own glass and removing the cuffs from Loki's wrists. Loki smiled a bit at this and rubbed his wrists, glad to be free.

"So when are you gonna tell Rose?" Tony asked.

"Soon," was Loki's answer as he took another sip.

"How soon is soon?" Thor asked.

"Why does it matter when I tell her?" Loki replied.

"Brother," Thor said, "Rose's situation is very similar to your own. Remember how you found out about your true parentage?"

Loki frowned and looked away from Thor. "Of course I remember," he said, "how could I forget?"

"Don't you think Rose will feel the same way you did if you don't tell her soon?" Thor asked, "What if she ends up finding it out on her own?"

"Not likely," Tony interjected.

"You are not helping my case, Stark," Thor said sternly.

"I'm really no help when I'm drunk," Tony replied.

"You are really nothing but a nuisance when you're drunk, sir," Jarvis piped up.

"Shut it, Jarv," Tony said, annoyed that his AI had decided to join the conversation.

"Back to the issue at hand," Thor said, "Loki, you must tell her and you must tell her soon."

"I will tell her when the time is right," Loki spat, "you have no say in this matter. Leave me be in my decisions, Thor!"

"Somebody's cranky," Tony muttered, taking a sip of his beer.

Loki chugged the last of the liquor in his glass and stood. "I'm done here," he said, "…let's go."

Thor frowned, but did not argue with his brother as he stood, thanked Tony for his hospitality, and left with Loki. Tony sighed once the apartment was once again empty. Damn, he was drunk.

* * *

Morning rolled around and Rose awoke early to find Bruce already awake, his eyes glued on her. Instantly, Rose blushed.

"You're cute when you blush," Bruce said, smiling.

"I'm not the only one," Rose replied. Bruce blushed just a little, realizing she was talking about him.

"Not fair," Bruce said. Rose just rolled her eyes.

There was a knock on the door and the pair looked up in surprise to see Dr. Lowrey enter, and Betty Ross right behind him.

"Dr. Lowrey," Rose said, smiling, "how are you?"

"Quite well," replied the doctor, smiling back at Rose, "thanks for asking. I ran into Miss Ross here in the hallway and I figured you'd all want to hear some good news."

"Good news?" Bruce asked, perking up a bit.

Dr. Lowrey nodded. "Yes," he said, "you're free to go today, Dr. Banner."

Betty and Rose grinned brightly at this news, though both refused to look at each other. Bruce sat up in the bed, focused on the doctor.

"I am?" Bruce asked, hardly able to believe that they'd let him go so soon, what with him being such a dangerous person and in such a vulnerable state.

"Yes," Dr. Lowrey said, "…mostly because Director Fury insisted, but yes."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I think this is actually the first time I've agreed with Fury on a decision," she said.

"This is great," Betty said smiling.

"It is," Dr. Lowrey said, "your release papers are already filled out, Dr. Banner. You're free to go whenever you're ready. Oh, and, Miss Ross brought you some clothes to change into."

Betty smiled and dug a pair of pants and a T-shirt out of her purse and handed them to Bruce. He thanked her, inspecting the clothes a moment before standing from the bed and heading to the bathroom to change. Rose barely managed not to glare at Betty, hating that the ex had come more prepared than she had.

Dr. Lowrey slipped out of the room after saying goodbye and left the women alone in the room in a very awkward silence while Bruce changed in the bathroom. Betty was the first to speak up.

"I'll drive him to the tower," Betty said, "…if that's alright. I mean, you don't have a car, do you?"

Rose bit her lip to keep from protesting Betty and shrugged. "I'll meet you both at the tower then," she said, standing and leaving the room before her anger got the better of her, not even bothering to mention that she did, in fact, have a car, it just wasn't her own…yet. She hated that Betty was trying to steal her job. Bruce was Rose's boyfriend, not Betty's. Rose should be the one taking Bruce home. That was how it should have been.


	8. Chapter 8

Rose started up the Acura and pulled out of the parking garage of the hospital, music blasting through the speakers. She didn't really care right then if her music pissed anyone off. She was pissed herself and figured everyone else should be just as pissed as she was. It was the only thing that made sense right then, however illogical of an idea it was.

The drive to Stark Tower was short, probably because Rose sped the whole way. She parked and got out of the car, heading then for the elevator and slipping inside. She didn't expect Bruce and Betty to arrive any time soon.

The elevator doors opened and Rose stepped out into Tony's apartment and paused. Tony had passed out on the bar. With a sigh, Rose made her way over to him and shook him awake.

"Tony," she said, "Tony, wake up."

Tony groaned as his eyes opened. "Jarvis…the lights…" he muttered. Instantly, the lights dimmed and Rose sighed.

"How much did you have to drink last night?" she asked.

"Not much…" Tony lied.

"One bottle of vodka and two beers," Jarvis replied.

"Come on," Rose said, "I'll help you to bed and get you some aspirin."

"No, I'm fine!" Tony slurred, clearly still pretty drunk in addition to being hungover.

"Bullshit," Rose spat, pulling Tony to his feet and frowning as she supported him, "…God, Tony, what the fuck got into you?"

Tony answered with a grunt and Rose shook her head with a sigh, helping Tony to his bedroom and laying him down on the bed. She tossed his shoes and socks on the floor and tucked him in. He was out almost instantly, leaving Rose to wonder what had driven him to drinking himself into oblivion.

As she left the room, Rose was careful to close the door quietly. "Jarvis," she said.

"Yes, Rose?" answered the AI.

"Keep an eye on him for me, will you?" Rose asked.

"Of course," Jarvis replied, "…is there anything else I can do for you?"

Rose paused, suddenly remembering that Bruce was on the way to the tower with Betty. "Actually," she said, "yeah…what have we got to drink? I want the strong stuff, Jarvis."

* * *

Bruce silently slid into the passenger seat of Betty's car and buckled up, watching her as she started up the car. She turned and flashed him a smile before pulling out of the garage.

"Want to get some food or something?" Betty asked.

"I guess," Bruce replied, "sure. Did you have anything in mind?"

"We could go get some pancakes," Betty suggested, "seeing as it's barely nine now."

"Pancakes sound great," Bruce said with a smile, "…did Rose go ahead to the tower?"

"Yeah," Betty said, "I offered to drive you back and she didn't seem to have a problem with it."

"That's good, I guess," Bruce said, glancing out the window at the city as they drove along. Was it wrong for him to still have feelings for Betty? After all, he didn't really remember much about Rose, but he remembered everything about Betty and their relationship. He figured it was fair to still love Betty, especially in such a state as his, but the next question was whether he was still _in love_ with Betty. That he couldn't be sure of.

It took no time at all for them to arrive at a pancake house. Betty and Bruce made their way inside and were seated. As he looked over the menu, Bruce couldn't help but continue to think about Betty. Was he still in love with her? Would it be wrong to go back to her? How would Rose take it if he decided he wanted Betty? Bruce was careful to keep his thoughts to himself, knowing he'd only be doing himself harm if he voiced his thoughts to anyone. He knew it wasn't right to think about those things or even consider breaking things off with Rose in his condition. He was certain it was stupid to want to get back with Betty. He blamed the amnesia and tried his best not to think throughout the time they were at the diner.

* * *

Rose sighed and ran a hand through her blue hair, gazing down into her nearly empty glass. She was starting to regret even thinking about drinking, but it was too late now. She was plastered and she was certain that she wouldn't be able to make it to the bedroom without running into something head-on.

Sadly, though, the alcohol hadn't helped any with the problem at hand. Rose was still pissed, no, she was jealous. Yes, jealous of Betty. And she had every right to be. The bitch had basically stated blatantly that she wanted Bruce back and now she was trying to take him in his vulnerable state. And what had Rose done? That's right, she'd just let Betty do what she wanted. So much for being a goody-two-shoes.

Rose tipped her head back and downed the last of her drink before slamming the glass back down onto the counter. She sighed, wishing, not for the first time, that she wasn't always so…innocent wasn't really the word was it? No, she was just…inclined to do the right thing, yes, that was it. She wished she wasn't so inclined to be good so it wouldn't bother her if she ended up beating the shit out of Betty. And again, she sighed. There was no point in wishing yet if she had no reason to beat the shit out of Betty yet anyhow.

"Rose," came the voice of Jarvis, "might I suggest you lay down for a bit?"

"No point in trying to walk," Rose muttered, laying her head on the bar, "…I'll do more damage to myself trying to go to bed than I will resting here."

In response, Jarvis lowered the lights and said, "As you wish."

Rose soon fell asleep on the bar, pretty blue hair cascading down onto the counter. The very next thing she knew, she was dreaming.

* * *

_Rose found herself standing in the throne room of Asgard. She recognized it from when she'd last been there in Loki's dreams. But why was she there? And how? She knew she couldn't be in Loki's dreams, she didn't have the power to invade his dreams without the help of that device._

_Looking around, Rose found she was not the only person in the room. There stood Loki, not that far from her. They were the only two in the room, and, when their eyes met, it seemed that time stopped._

"_What's going on?" Rose asked. Surely that wasn't really Loki. Surely this was just her dream and her dream alone and she was just not in control because of the alcohol._

"_I was hoping you'd tell me," Loki said, "because I know I'm not dreaming right now."_

_Rose frowned. So it really was Loki, and he wasn't dreaming. But that still didn't explain the location or why she was there._

"_Perhaps your powers have advanced farther than you knew," Loki said._

"_What?" Rose asked, "What are you talking about? How do you know about…" She trailed off, unsure how to continue. What the fuck was going on?_

"_Rose!"_

* * *

Rose jolted awake and opened her eyes as someone touched her shoulder. She looked to see who it was and was surprised to find Bruce before her.

"Rose," he said again, "are you alright?"

Rose didn't know how to answer. What the fuck had just happened?


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you alright?" Bruce asked again. Rose didn't answer and struggled to her feet.

"Rose, answer me," Bruce said, clearly very concerned for her.

"What do you want to hear?" Rose asked, "That I'm just peachy?"

"How much have you had to drink?" Bruce asked, his voice suddenly soft and comforting, caring was the word, really.

"Just…a lot," Rose admitted, "…I'm fine…I guess…is Tony awake?"

"What?" Bruce asked.

"He was passed out on the bar when I got here…I put him to bed…is he up?"

Bruce shrugged. "I don't know."

Rose nodded and brushed past Bruce, heading for Tony's room. "Where are you going?" Bruce called. Rose didn't answer as she slipped into Tony's room and made her way to the bed. She shook Tony awake and the man groaned as his eyes opened.

"What?" he asked, annoyed.

"Something really weird just happened," Rose said.

"Well I'm a little hungover if you can't tell," Tony complained, sitting up.

"Same," Rose said, "so suck it up. I need to talk to you."

"Why can't you talk to Bruce?"

Rose frowned and looked away. "I can't tell him this," she said softly, "…he's already in a fragile state as is and…and I don't want to worry him."

Tony sighed. "Come on, help me up," he said, struggling to his feet with Rose's help, "we'll go talk in my lab."

"By the way, Bruce is here," Rose said, "…and I think Betty is too…I just didn't see her."

Tony groaned. "Hangovers and people don't mix," he complained.

"I never thought I'd hear you complain about people," Rose remarked, laughing a bit and leading Tony out of the room and towards the elevator. As was Rose's luck, just as the elevator doors opened, out stepped Betty Ross, the last person she wanted to see right then. She already had so much on her mind, and she didn't need to be reminded of this particular problem.

"Everything alright?" Betty asked, noting how Rose's expression had hardened slightly.

"Fine," Rose answered.

"Why don't you sit and watch a movie with Bruce or something?" Tony suggested, "Rose and I have some work to do."

Betty smiled a bit and nodded, heading off towards the living room as Rose and Tony slipped into the elevator. Once the doors were closed, Rose threw a punch at the wall, biting her lip as tears welled in her eyes. Damn, that had hurt, but she definitely understood why Hulk liked smashing things when he was angry. It helped to hit something. It helped a lot.

"What the hell, Rose?" Tony asked, stunned.

"Sorry," Rose said, shaking her hand out, "…I'm just…frustrated and…confused…needed to punch something." Her hand hurt pretty bad, but she didn't really care at the moment. She hadn't broken anything, she was sure.

"You dented my elevator!" Tony exclaimed.

"What?" Rose asked, forgetting the throbbing pain in her knuckles and turning to look. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. Tony was right. There was a dent in the elevator wall, a fist-sized dent. How the fuck was that possible? Rose was suddenly wrenched away from her thoughts as the elevator doors opened and Tony, gripping her arm roughly, dragged her out and into his lab.

"Something is going on with you," Tony said, leading Rose to a chair and pulling one up for himself.

"You think I don't know that?" Rose asked, still in shock.

"Your powers are advancing far faster than should be possible, you just fucking dented my elevator, what's next?" Tony asked, "You gonna spontaneously combust or something?"

"Quit yelling at me, Tony!" Rose exclaimed. To Rose's surprise, Tony instantly shut himself up, frowning as he stared at her. Rose sighed and hung her head, whispering, "I'm sorry…"

Tony placed a gentle hand on Rose's shoulder and said in a soft voice. "What was it you needed to talk about?"

"Right, right," Rose said, running her uninjured hand through her hair, "…you're right about my powers advancing faster than they should be. I got drunk and passed out after putting you to bed because I was upset about Bruce and Betty spending time together. Jealousy was getting to me."

"And what happened?" Tony prompted.

"In my dreams I found myself in the throne room of Asgard," Rose continued, "I recognized it from when I had to find Loki. This time, Loki and I were the only ones in the room, but I knew for a fact that I couldn't possibly be in Loki's dreams because I can't invade the minds of those who aren't on the same world I am without the help of that device I used the first time. My first conclusion, though, was that my powers were advancing and it had somehow become possible for my consciousness to travel farther, but…Loki said something strange, said that he wasn't dreaming and that perhaps my powers had advanced more than I knew. What…what do you think he meant?"

Rose looked up at Tony, genuinely confused, maybe even a little scared. Tony didn't know what to say or do.

"I think…I think he knows more than he should about you," Tony said, "…and I'm damn sure he's right about your powers. Something's going on, and we need to figure out what."

Rose paused, blinking a moment in surprise. There it was, an inconvenient little glimpse into Tony's mind that she couldn't control.

"You…you know something," Rose said, "but you're not telling…it has to do with me…and Loki…"

Tony frowned and looked away. "I can't tell you, Rose," he said, guessing she'd read something from him. He'd never been so grateful that Rose couldn't control when she read minds, that it just happened randomly, if at all.

"Why not?" Rose asked.

"I made a promise," Tony explained, "…look, let's not focus on what I can't tell you. We have other important things to deal with. First off, we still don't know who's responsible for the explosion, nor do we know what Betty's up to, if anything. And, finally, you need to find a way to control everything that's happening to you."

"I can't control it," Rose said, "that's the problem!"

"Then you need to learn to," Tony said, "you need to learn to keep yourself under control so we can focus on the important stuff, like keeping Bruce safe and helping him remember, alright?"

Rose looked away and Tony stood, heading over to his computer and sitting down before it. He pulled up the file of evidence relating to the explosion and pulled everything up so he could see it all at once. He paused as Rose spoke up.

"Alright," she said softly, "I'll find a way to control it. Somehow…"

She stood from her chair and turned to head for the door. "You keep searching for our culprit," she continued, "…I'll deal with the memory part." And, with that, she was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Rose, after changing quickly into a short, strapless dress with a gold bodice and a green skirt that stopped just above her knees and a pair of gold flats, made her way out to the living room. She noticed that Betty and Bruce were sitting on the couch together watching a movie and headed for the bar to pour herself a glass of white wine. She wasn't typically a wine girl, but it sounded good at the time.

"What are you two watching?" Rose asked, holding her glass of wine and starting towards the couch.

"Star Wars," Betty answered, pausing a moment before adding, somewhat reluctantly, "care to join us?"

"Of course," Rose replied, going to sit in the chair nearer to Bruce's side of the couch, "…which episode?"

"Empire Strikes Back," Betty said, "my favorite."

"I've always preferred Return of the Jedi," Rose commented.

"I wish I knew what you were talking about," Bruce interjected. Both women laughed a bit.

"It's alright, Bruce," Rose said, "it seems the two of us are Star Wars fans…we'll educate you."

Betty smiled a bit and nodded her agreement before returning her attention to the movie.

"So what exactly is going on?" Bruce asked, "In the movie…that is."

Rose smiled and explained, "Well, Luke Skywalker has only recently discovered that his father was a Jedi and that he himself must become a Jedi to fulfill a prophecy and bring peace to the galaxy. Darth Vader and the Emperor are plotting to turn him to the Dark Side of the Force in order to prevent their downfall. Luke's gone to be trained by Yoda, an old Jedi master and Han, Leia, and Chewy are running from bounty hunters hired by Vader. That's all the important stuff up to now."

"You forgot all about Obi Wan," Betty said.

"Right, yes," Rose said, taking a sip of her wine before continuing, "how could I forget him? He's the man who told Luke to go see Yoda. He's…well, I guess he's a mentor to Luke."

"And you also forgot the love triangle," Betty piped up.

"If you're such an expert, go ahead and try to fill him in, then," Rose said, relaxing back into her chair and sipping her wine.

"Han and Luke both like Leia," Betty said.

"You're welcome," Rose muttered.

Betty raised an eyebrow and asked, "For what?"

"For filling in the important information," Rose said.

"Can we just watch the movie now that I have some semblance of understanding of it?" Bruce asked. He really didn't want the two women he cared for to fight. Yes, he cared for both of them, but he didn't know much else about his feelings for them beyond that.

"We can try," Betty said with a shrug.

"Do, or do not," Rose quoted, "there is no try."

Bruce blinked in surprise. "You…you've said that before. You said that when we first met. Tony was saying that he'd try to be serious and you said that line. That was before…before we went down to the lab to…" He groaned, frustrated. "I can't remember…"

Rose frowned and reached out, placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder just as Betty did the same.

"You will," Rose said softly, "you'll remember."

After a long moment, they returned to watching the movie in silence, Rose sipping her wine quite generously now. Betty had weaseled her way closer to Bruce as was sitting with her head on his shoulder. Rose envied her right then. She missed the touch of her lover, of her sweet Dr. Banner.

"_Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father._"

Rose's eyes turned to look at the screen right then. What was it about that line? She'd never noticed before, but it resonated within her. She'd never truly known exactly what had happened to her parents.

"_He told me enough! He told me _you _killed him!_"

Who had killed Rose's parents? What had happened to them? In all honesty, she'd never bought the story that the shooters killed themselves. She's always wondered what the true story was behind the shooting.

"_No. _I _am your father!_"

The faces of Jenna and Richard Hunter flashed through Rose's mind. She missed them, but they were gone. She missed Richard, with his sweet blue eyes and silky brown hair and his comforting arms. She missed Jenna with her stormy grey eyes and her soft blond hair and her beautiful voice that sang lullabies to her when she couldn't sleep.

"_No. No. That's not true. That's impossible!_"

"_Search your feelings. You _know_ it to be true!_"

Rose stared at the screen, letting the words sink in. She didn't notice the way that Bruce was staring at her. His eyes were full of wonder. This woman with the blue hair and the emerald green eyes, he remembered her. Not everything, but enough. He didn't know what had triggered it, but he remembered. He remembered that he loved her, and that he'd made love to her. It was there that his thoughts stopped. He'd…made love to her? How was that possible?

Betty sighed softly and shifted on the couch so she was no longer leaning her head on Bruce's shoulder. She could tell by the way he was looking at Rose that he'd remembered something. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what. It was then that she realized that Rose was a problem. Rose was a big problem, and a problem that she'd have to deal with if her plans were to come to fruition.

While each of the three let their thoughts roam, the movie drew to a close leaving the credits to roll. Everyone was silent, no one daring to be the first to speak.

* * *

Tony slammed his fist down on the desk in frustration. "Jarvis…I need answers," he said.

"Sir, there isn't much I can do," replied the AI, "I can't get rid of the static."

"Then…" Tony said, looking down at his hands and sighing, "…then search every damn feed you have for someone with that hair color that isn't Bruce or me and give me what you find."

"That will take quite some time, sir," Jarvis informed him.

"Focus everything on this, Jarvis," Tony said, "Bruce is in danger and I need to know who attacked him so they can be brought to justice."

"Yes, sir," Jarvis answered. Tony stood and left the lab, leaving Jarvis to work, hoping and praying that he'd find their suspect soon, for Bruce's sake.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N:**__ I just wanted to say thanks to all of my faithful readers! I know there hasn't been much romance in this story, and I'm sorry for that, but I have major plans I intend to play out. There's major drama yet, but, don't worry, I'll try to throw in a bit of romance here and there to get you through everything. Once the drama's over with, I promise a happy ending and more Rose/Bruce sexy time. Sadly, I can't promise either of those things until Book 3, but Book 2 is about 5 chapters away from being finished and I intend to update regularly, so hang in there with me. Here's Chapter 11!_

* * *

Tony slipped into the living room and glanced around. Why was it so quiet?

"Something bad happen?" he asked, figuring it was the only reason Betty, Bruce, and Rose would be quiet at the exact same time. His words seemed to shock everyone out of their thoughts. The three of them looked to Tony. Bruce was the first to speak.

"Can I ask you for a favor, Tony?" he said.

Tony nodded. "Of course, what is it you need?"

Bruce shot a quick glance at Betty before returning his attention to Tony. "Could you give Betty a tour of the tower?" he asked.

Tony raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Sure, I guess."

Bruce smiled and looked to Betty, motioning for her to go with Tony. "Why don't you let him give you a tour? If you're going to be over here a lot you might as well know your way around."

Betty nodded and stood. "Good point," she said, "…thanks." She made her way over to Tony and the two of them began on their way, Tony talking animatedly as they did so. Once they were out of earshot, Bruce breathed a soft sigh of relief and looked to Rose.

"I remember you," he said softly.

Rose was startled by his words. "What?"

"I remember you, Rose," Bruce said again, "not everything, but enough. Trouble is, I'm confused…"

"About what?" Rose asked, moving to sit down beside Bruce on the couch and taking his hand.

"About Betty," Bruce answered, "…I remember how I felt about you and…and I once felt the same about Betty. I feel like I'm betraying her…"

Rose frowned a bit and looked down at their hands. "And how do you feel about me?"

"I love you, Rose," Bruce answered, "but I love Betty, too. I feel like I need to make a choice, but I don't know how I can."

Rose hesitated a moment, then pulled herself into Bruce's lap, looking up into his eyes as the fingers of one hand ran through his hair. "Bruce, listen to me," she said, "there is no choice to be made. You made the choice before you left for India. You broke it off with her."

"I don't remember that, Rose," Bruce said, "…and I'm not even sure I can trust you."

"You've never had a problem trusting me in the past, why now?" Rose asked, looking hurt.

"Because…because I'm not so sure I can anymore," Bruce said.

"Look at me, Bruce," Rose pleaded, "do I look like I would ever lie to you?"

Bruce didn't answer, looking away. He didn't know how to answer that.

"Answer me, Bruce!" Rose begged, taking his face in her hands and turning it so he would look at her. On impulse, she leaned up and kissed him. She didn't know what came over her, but she kissed him. She kissed him roughly, passionately, pouring all of her love for him into that one simple action.

But he didn't reciprocate.

Rose pulled away and gazed up at him, teary-eyed. "Bruce," she whispered, "do you honestly believe that I would ever steer you wrong?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

In an instant, Rose stood from Bruce's lap and left.

* * *

"You know you will have to tell her soon, Brother," Thor said.

"Yes, I know, Thor," Loki sighed, "…does Father know of her?"

"In the sense that she is your daughter, no, I do not believe so," Thor answered, "though I made certain he knew that she was to thank for your most recent defeat."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Is it physically impossible for you not to bring that up every time we talk?" he asked.

Thor thought about it and was about to answer when Loki said quickly, "It's a rhetorical question, Thor, learn to spot them. I cannot believe it took me so long to realize that we weren't even related…"

It took a good thirty seconds before Thor seemed to realize that he was being insulted, but Loki was saved from Thor's wrath by the sudden entrance of their mother, Frigga.

"Your father wishes to speak with the both of you," Frigga announced.

Thor and Loki glanced at each other and frowned a bit. "He must have found out," Thor muttered. Loki sighed in annoyance at his step-brother's remark.

"Found out what?" Frigga asked.

"Marvelous job, Thor," Loki said sarcastically, starting for the door and not even bothering to check that Thor was following.

* * *

Tony held the door for Betty and slipped into his lab after her. He smiled a bit as he watched her look around.

"Impressive, yes?" he said.

"Very," Betty said with a grin, "I've never seen anything like it."

"Sir," Jarvis said.

"Not now, Jarvis," Tony interrupted. The AI was silent.

"Tony," Betty said softly, finally looking to the billionaire, "…I don't understand why Bruce picked Rose over me…"

Tony bit his lip to keep from frowning. He hated talks like this.

"I mean, I don't see why he likes her," Betty said, "what does she have that I don't?"

"A pretty fucked up life, that's what," Tony muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Betty asked. Tony immediately regretted his words and sighed.

"How can I explain?" Tony said, trying to figure out a way to get around the subject of Loki. He couldn't find one.

"It's…it's complicated," he finally said, "…I can't exactly explain. I promised someone I'd keep their secret until the time was right and if I tell you all about Rose, I'd be breaking that promise."

"I see," Betty said, "so, in the end, you can't help me understand what I need to simply because you're afraid of breaking some stupid promise you made to someone? Promises were made to be broken, you know."

Tony frowned. "Not this one," he replied. He was starting to see where Rose was coming from in thinking that Betty was a little strange.

Betty glanced around once more, then turned to head for the door without another word. After a moment, Tony elected to follow her, having completely forgotten about Jarvis's earlier interruption.


	12. Chapter 12

Betty made her way towards the elevator and pressed the down arrow, waiting for the lift to arrive. Tony caught up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, you're, um, you're acting a little strange," Tony said.

"I'm _fine_, Anthony," Betty said through gritted teeth.

"Why are you so upset?" Tony asked, "What's going on?"

"Who's the bastard you made that stupid promise to?" Betty growled, turning to face Tony.

"I can't tell you!" Tony exclaimed, "I already told you I can't tell you! Why the fuck do you care anyhow?"

"Because Rose is my competition!" Betty hissed, "Bruce is mine, always has been. Then this girl drops in and decides to take him as her own! I need to get her out of the picture. I need Bruce!"

Tony, rather frightened by Betty, stood there dumbly, unable to move. "Betty…Betty, calm down, please," he said, "…this is Bruce we're talking about. He's capable of making his own decisions."

"No, he's not, Tony," Betty said, "he doesn't remember a damn thing! All he remembers is me, Tony, and I need to be there for him without Rose's interference. How do I know she hasn't been playing him, playing all of you from the start? How do you know she isn't here to hurt him? The trouble didn't start until she walked in. Fury caught me up on your latest assignment, in case you're wondering where I got my information…"

Tony stood there stunned. Betty had a point, Rose could easily have been playing them all of this time. But had she been? What was her motive? Did a motive for something like that even exist? Tony didn't know. What he did know was that Rose was, in fact, the daughter of the God of Lies and Mischief. He hoped Betty was wrong about Rose.

Betty turned away from Tony as the elevator doors opened. Rose was inside, tears streaking her cheeks. Her bright green eyes bore into the pair, daring them to step inside the lift. It was clear that she was one dirty look away from going into full-on mad god mode. That was what Tony had elected to call it from now on. It was a logical name for her fits, Loki being her father and all.

What happened next was the most surprising thing Tony had seen all day. Betty slipped into the elevator with Rose and pulled the woman into a hug before pushing the door close button and leaving Tony standing there, staring at nothing.

* * *

"Calm down, Rose," Betty said softly, holding the blue-haired woman close.

"Bruce just…just dumped me," Rose whispered. She was in such emotional turmoil right then that she even found comfort in the arms of Betty Ross, the woman she hated most in the world right then.

Betty didn't seem fazed by this news and continued to hold Rose comfortingly.

"It's going to be alright," Betty whispered, "…let's go out for some ice cream. It'll help."

Rose just nodded. She didn't want to be alone with Betty, but she sure as hell didn't want to stay in the tower a moment longer.

* * *

Tony raced into the living room and found Bruce still sitting there on the couch, lost in thought.

"Bruce, what the actual fuck?" he exclaimed, rousing the doctor.

Bruce turned to look at Tony, a look of pain and confusion etched across his face. "I…I think I just…broke up with Rose."

"You _think_?" Tony said, "You _think_ you broke up with her? For fuck's sake, Banner, what the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea what you did? What you almost caused?"

Bruce just stared at Tony, unsure how to answer.

"Bruce, Rose could have _killed_ you! She could have killed Betty and I!" Tony shouted, "I know for a fact you know what you're like when you're angry, but none of us have seen the full extent of Rose's abilities! Are you fucking insane?"

"Tony, please…" Bruce begged, dropping his head into his hands, "…please stop yelling at me…"

"God damn it, Bruce!" Tony growled, throwing his hands up into the air in frustration, "You had better be grateful for Betty. It's thanks to her that we're all still alive and this tower isn't in ruins. She took Rose out to calm down, don't know how she did it, but…"

"Sir, I was saying earlier-"

"Jarvis, not now!" Tony said.

"Sir, I really think you should-"

"Mute," Tony spat. The AI didn't say another word. Slowly, Tony turned to look at Bruce and frowned when he saw that the man was in tears. He sat down beside the doctor and slipped an arm around him comfortingly.

"Tony," Bruce said softly, "I fucked up…"

"Hell yeah, you did," Tony agreed, "but you're gonna fix it, right?"

Bruce just nodded and neither of them said another word. Tony had completely forgotten to mention how strangely Betty had been acting. Right then that was the thing farthest from his mind.

* * *

Rose wiped her tears away with her hand and gazed out the window of Betty's car as they drove along. She didn't even understand why she'd agreed to go along with Betty. She'd just done it. She was really starting to regret not thinking before acting. She didn't know how Tony was able to live with himself always doing things just because he wanted to without thinking of the consequences.

"Are you okay?" Betty asked softly.

"No," Rose admitted, "but I'm not homicidal, so I guess that's an improvement from a few minutes ago."

"You've got terrible anger management issues," Betty said, "worse than Bruce."

"People don't believe me when I tell them that," Rose said.

"Loki targeted you during his last attack, yes?" Betty said.

Rose nodded. "He did," she said, "how do you know about that?"

"Fury caught me up," Betty explained, "…I think I know why he would have targeted you."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"You're the most dangerous. If he managed to get you out of the picture, there would have been no stopping him," Betty said, "you're the weakness of the team. If you're gone…"

"If I'm gone they won't be able to function," Rose finished.

"Precisely," Betty said. If Rose had chosen to look at Betty right then, she would have seen the evil gleam in her eyes. Up ahead, the light had just turned red, and Betty was showing no signs of stopping. Rose didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.

The pick-up truck collided with the passenger side of the car. The impact should have killed Rose instantly. But it didn't.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ And the drama continues…I hate myself for this…I really, really do…okay, not really…_


	13. Chapter 13

Bruce's phone broke the silence of the living room suddenly. He slipped it out of his pocket and glanced at the number.

"It's Betty," he said, looking to Tony. The other man motioned that Bruce should answer it and he obeyed.

"Hello?"

"_Bruce!_" came Betty's panicked voice, "_Bruce, Rose and I were just in an accident. We got T-Boned. Rose is…Rose isn't waking up. What do I do?_"

Bruce's eyes went wide at this news and quickly put the phone on speaker. "Betty, are you alright?" he asked, "Is there an ambulance on the way?"

"_I…I think I'm okay,_" Betty replied, her voice shaky and scared, "_…the, um, the ambulance just got here…_"

"Go with Rose in the ambulance," Bruce said, "Tony and I will meet you at the hospital."

"_Bruce…_" Betty said softly, "_she got hit with the full force of the other car…I don't know if she's going to make it. She's…she's in terrible shape, Bruce._"

Bruce was stunned by this news, but Tony managed to keep himself composed. "She's a fighter," Tony said, "she'll be okay. Stay with her, Betty, I'll get Bruce over to the hospital as fast as I can."

"_Okay…_" Betty said, choking back a sob. She hung up and the two men looked at each other.

"You're sure Rose will be okay?" Bruce asked.

"Positive," Tony said, standing.

"How can you be sure?" Bruce asked, standing as well and looking worriedly towards Tony.

"Just trust me," Tony said, giving Bruce a slight smile, "now come on, we need to go."

"Right," Bruce said, following Tony towards the elevator, eager to get to the hospital. He needed to be with Rose. He needed to apologize at the very least.

* * *

Frigga led Loki and Thor through the halls of the castle until they arrived in the throne room. It was empty save for the three of them and Odin. The King of Asgard sat regally on his throne, staring down at his wife and sons.

"My wife, might I have a moment alone with my sons?" Odin asked. Frigga simply nodded and slipped out of the room as Odin stood and approached Thor and Loki.

"Tell me everything you know about the mortal who calls herself Artemis," Odin said. His tone of voice made it clear that he wasn't going to take any lies or nonsense from the brothers. The King definitely knew Loki's little secret.

"She's the newest member of the band of heroes I belong to on Midgard," Thor said, "she's the reason Loki's last attempt to take over the planet failed."

"Honestly, Thor, you don't have to bring that up every five seconds," Loki muttered, annoyed.

Odin ignored Loki's muttering and prompted, "What else?"

"She's a dreamwalker," Thor continued.

"And?" Odin said, raising an eyebrow at Loki.

"That's it," Thor said.

"Do not lie to me, Thor," Odin said.

"Thor, while I appreciate your attempts to help me, you're terrible at lying," Loki said, running a hand through his dark, silky hair in frustration before letting out a sigh and continuing, "…her real name is Rose Hunter. She is my daughter."

"And why didn't you tell me this earlier, Loki?" Odin asked.

"It was safer for no one to know," Loki explained.

"Safer for who?" Odin asked.

"For her," Loki answered.

* * *

Tony and Bruce made their way down the hall towards Rose's room after having asked a secretary where they could find her. It was growing closer and closer to eleven at night, but neither Tony nor Bruce had sleep on their mind. Rose was their first priority.

The men arrived in the ICU and made their way towards what had been designated as Rose's room. She was lying on a hospital bed and Betty was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. She'd clearly been crying.

When Tony and Bruce entered, Betty looked up and quickly stood, going to hug Bruce. Bruce hugged Betty back, holding her close as Tony went to stand by Rose's bedside.

"The doctor said she's in a coma," Betty said as she and Bruce finally pulled away from each other, "they don't have any idea when she'll wake up. It could be days, it could be weeks."

Tony looked down at Rose, examining her wounds. Her whole right side was pretty badly banged up. There were scrapes, cuts, and bruises everywhere, and he noted that her right arm was in a sling.

"What kind of car was it that T-Boned you?" Tony asked.

"Pick-up truck," Betty answered, "hit her like she was a bullseye."

"How fast?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry?" Betty asked.

"How fast was the truck going?" Tony asked.

"I…don't know…I guess 50 or 60," Betty said.

Tony paused for a moment, thinking hard. "She should be dead," he whispered, "…I don't understand…"

* * *

"So you kept this huge secret from everyone for all this time?" Odin asked, "And only because you felt she'd be safer if no one knew?"

"Yes, and yes," Loki said, "…the only people who actually knew the truth died when Rose was seventeen."

"Richard and Jenna?" Thor guessed. Loki winced at the mention of their names and nodded, refusing to meet either of their eyes.

"Were you ever going to at least tell her the truth?" Odin asked.

"Yes," Loki admitted, "…the time just hasn't come yet."

* * *

_Rose felt trapped. She was alive and dead at the same time, or, at least, that was the best way to describe it. She was lost, completely and totally. Here and there she'd catch snippets of things. People fretting over her condition, conversations, familiar voices. But she couldn't speak, couldn't wake up. She couldn't do anything but listen._

"_She should be dead…"_

_Rose almost wished she was. Anything would have been better than being trapped. Was there no escape?_

_She had to escape. She had to tell Bruce what Betty had done. She had to tell Tony. She'd known all along that Betty was bad news, but she'd gone along and trusted the bitch anyhow. And now she was paying the price. Now she had no way of warning Bruce and Tony. Now she was nothing._

"_Were you ever going to at least tell her the truth?"_

_That voice. She'd never heard it before. Whose was it? She heard voices growing nearer, three voices. She recognized two of them. She recognized Thor's voice. And…was that Loki?_

"_What in the-"_

_That was Loki's voice. He sounded stunned…and much, much closer now. And Rose opened her eyes._

* * *

_**A/N: **__And I'm going to leave you with another cliffhanger, just because I can!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N:**__ I always appreciate reviews! I love hearing what my readers have to say. Reviews give me some of my best ideas!_

* * *

Rose's emerald eyes opened and she blinked a few times, confused. This was…this was Asgard. She remembered it perfectly. But how could she be here? Wasn't she still on Earth? Wasn't she in a coma?

"I…I'm going to take a guess…" she said softly, managing to sit up and glance around at the three men surrounding her, "and say that none of you are dreaming…"

"Loki, what is going on?" Odin asked. It was then that Rose realized that Loki was kneeling beside her. Why was _he_ concerned about her?

"If I knew, _Father_, I would tell you," Loki said, clearly annoyed.

"And since when do you tell the truth?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She has a point, Brother," Thor commented.

"Shut it, Thor," Loki spat.

"Could everyone please stop arguing?" Rose asked, "And can someone please tell me how the fuck I'm even here? I'm…I'm stuck in a coma back on Earth…"

"What?" Thor asked, suddenly very concerned.

"You heard me, Thor," Rose said, "I'm in a coma…there was…well, I can't really call it an accident…"

"So you're unconscious?" Loki asked.

"No shit," Rose muttered.

"Then I have a theory on how you could be here," Loki said.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening," she said.

"This could be an extension of your dreamwalking abilities," Loki said, "the ability for your consciousness to leave your body and travel freely."

"Wait, what do you mean 'it can't be called an accident'?" Thor asked, as if those words had just then registered in his mind.

Rose sighed a bit, looking to Thor. "Betty was driving. She ran a red light on purpose and a truck hit me spot on," she explained, pausing a moment to let that sink in, "…I heard bits and pieces of things from then on until I woke up here. Tony said…he said I should be dead."

"But you're not," Thor said.

"Clearly," Loki said, motioning towards Rose.

Rose narrowed her eyes a bit and looked to Thor. "Help me up," she said. He took her offered hand and helped her to her feet without a word.

Rose glanced between the brothers, then towards Odin, frowning. "You all know something, don't you?" she said.

"Perhaps now is that time you were waiting for, Loki?" Odin prompted.

Loki frowned, glancing towards Rose, then back towards Odin. "Might I have a moment alone with her?" he asked. Odin nodded and left quietly with Thor.

"Why would Betty hurt you?" Loki asked.

"Same reason you targeted me during your last attack," Rose replied, shooting Loki a glare, "if I'm not there to hold them together, the team will fall apart."

Loki nodded. "What's she after?"

"I don't know," Rose admitted, "but someone needs to warn Tony and Bruce. My best guess is that she's after Bruce."

Loki sighed a bit and looked away. "Rose…the reason you're alive is…because you're not human," he said softly.

"Then what am I?" Rose asked.

"My daughter," Loki replied.

Rose froze right then, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. Could that be true?

"You don't believe me, do you?" Loki asked.

Rose finally shook her head. "I don't," she admitted, "…you're the God of Lies, so I would be a fool to believe you without proof."

"There is plenty of proof," Loki said, "…Tony Stark figured it out when he saw my eyes."

"So that's what Tony was hiding," Rose said, running a hand through her hair and sighing as she finally turned to gaze towards Loki, catching his eyes. They were the same emerald she knew so well, but she just couldn't let herself believe he was telling the truth.

"I still can't believe you," Rose said softly, looking away. Suddenly, Loki took hold of her wrist and Rose quickly turned and caught his eyes once more.

"Watch," Loki said softly, glancing down at their hands. Rose did the same as Loki's hand turned a pale blue. Rose winced at the sudden cold and tried to pull away, but Loki held her wrist firmly in his grasp. Rose knew she was strong, but Loki was far stronger.

Rose resigned to watch, gasping as the pale blue color spread across her own hand and began up her arm. The cold sensation was still there, but she didn't actually _feel_ cold.

"What…?" Rose breathed, not even sure what she had been going to ask.

"I'm a Frost Giant," Loki explained, the pale blue traveling across his own body as well, "…contact with one burns even the skin of an Asgardian and would surely burn the skin of a human."

"So it's true then," Rose said softly, "…you're my father…"

"Yes," Loki said, releasing Rose's hand and allowing his skin to revert to its normal pale color. The blue receded from Rose's skin as well.

"I still don't trust you," Rose muttered.

"I don't blame you," Loki admitted, "I've given you no reason to trust me."

Rose looked down at her hand and rubbed her wrist awkwardly. "How soon could we manage to get a message to Fury?" she asked.

"That depends," Loki said.

"What's the quickest way to get a message to him?" Rose asked.

"That would be to go straight there and speak with him in person," Loki said, "however, with the Bifrost still unrepaired, I am the only one who can travel and it takes quite a bit out of me to teleport to Earth, more so to take myself and Thor. On top of everything, I'm what you might call 'grounded' and I can't leave the palace without Thor to escort me."

"So, essentially," Rose said, "what you're saying is that I'm stuck here until I manage to wake up from my coma and I have no way of warning Tony and Bruce about Betty."

"I'm sorry to say," Loki said.

"Then I suggest you find a way to make yourself useful to me while I'm stuck here," Rose said, locking eyes with her father.

* * *

Morning rolled around and Bruce found himself alone in Rose's room, having been unable to sleep all night. He remained seated at her bedside, holding her hand in his own.

"Rose," he whispered, "if you can hear me, I'm sorry for what I did. I'm still confused. But I still love you. And I promise you that I always will."

He sighed and brushed her hair out of the way, hating the sight of her bruises and cuts.

"But I need to be with Betty," he continued, "I owe it to her to give her another chance. I'm sorry, Rose. So, so sorry."


	15. Chapter 15

Bruce glanced up when someone entered the hospital room.

"Hey," Betty said softly, "…any change?"

Bruce shook his head and sighed. "Nothing," he replied.

Betty made her way over to Bruce and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You look like hell, Bruce," she said.

"Couldn't sleep."

Betty frowned at this. "A friend of mine loaned me their car," she said, "why don't I drive you back to the tower so you can get some rest?"

"I want to stay a bit longer," Bruce said.

Betty nodded. "Fine," she said, "…but only for a few hours. You need your rest."

Bruce nodded. "Alright."

* * *

Thor and Odin had returned to the throne room and everyone was busy discussing what the plan was.

"There's no way you could lift Loki's house arrest for just a few hours?" Rose asked.

Odin shook his head and Loki piped up, "It's not like Fury or any of them would believe me if I tried to warn them about Betty."

"Exactly," Odin said, "which is why you should remain here, Loki, and train Lady Rose-"

"It's just Rose," Rose interrupted, "no 'miss', no 'lady', just Rose."

"Well, you are a princess, being my daughter," Loki said, "it is only polite."

Rose narrowed her eyes at Loki. "I don't care what's polite," she said, "I want no special treatment. There is only one thing that I want and that is to protect those that I care about."

"Then there's no time to waste," Thor said, "Loki will train you in the art of magic so you may do just that when you awake."

"Fine," Rose said, looking to Loki. The raven-haired god looked to Thor and Odin, then to Rose, before turning to go. Rose quickly followed after him.

"Who else knows?" Odin asked once they were gone.

"Tony Stark and Director Fury," Thor answered.

"Why did they keep the secret?" Odin asked.

"For her sake."

* * *

"Why did you keep this a secret so long?" Rose asked.

Loki continued on down the hall, sighing a bit.

"Are you going to answer me?" Rose asked.

"Rose, I kept this a secret to keep you safe," Loki said, pausing before a large set of double doors and turning to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

Loki ran a hand through his hair, then suddenly took Rose's hand in his own and led her through the double doors into a large room. A library, Rose realized.

"Rose," Loki began, "if you had known from the start that I was your father, would you have become the person you are today? What if you had known the truth and you had grown up to be just like me and you had made the same mistakes I did? I didn't want that for you. I don't want that for you."

"So instead you left me to live a lie?" Rose asked, "Is that any better?"

Loki frowned at those words and looked away. "I was protecting you from becoming a monster, Rose," he said, "lying to you was a necessary evil."

"What about Richard?" Rose asked, "Did you lie to him too?"

"No," Loki answered, "…he was in on it. Jenna and I asked him to help us, to step in as your father. He was a good friend of ours."

"What?" Rose said, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Jenna and I agreed that it would be best that you didn't know I was your father," Loki said, "so we asked Richard to step in. We all knew you'd be upset about being lied to all your life, but we agreed it was safest for you."

"Mom agreed to this?" Rose asked.

"Rose, please, I don't want to talk about this," Loki said, "…this is a sensitive subject. Don't we have work to do?"

* * *

"Bruce," Betty said softly, "Bruce, honey, it's time to go. I know you want to stay, but you need your rest."

Bruce sighed and nodded, standing and reaching for Betty's hand. He took one last glance at Rose before leaving with Betty.

When they arrived downstairs, Betty led Bruce to a simple black Toyota Camry and got the door for him. She helped him inside and, when he wasn't looking, engaged the child-lock. Finally, she made her way around to the driver's side and slipped in, starting up the car.

"Sleep, Bruce," Betty said, flashing him a smile, "I'll wake you when we get there."

Bruce just nodded, closing his eyes and slipping into a peaceful sleep, despite the terrible fate that awaited him when they arrived at their true destination.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ And that concludes Book 2 of the trilogy. I expect to release Chapter 1 of Book 3: Still Fighting on Monday, so be on the lookout for that! Please review, I love to hear what my readers have to say!_


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